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Thf: Chntury Magazinf..

\"ui.. XXIV.

jri.Y, 1882.

AMONd THK IHLIXKrrS IN ALASKA.

' .c- ./

\Vk set forth in April, 1877, from Portland,
Oregon, in the steamer California, m\i\ steamed
northward till we entered the Straits of I'"uc.a.
Ciwx i)ur])Ose was to climl) Mount St. Mlias,
the highest peak in the world above the snow-
line, to explore the Mount St. I'llias alps, and
to ac<|uirc information al)out the unknown
districts lying nearest the coast, with a view
to future explorations. I'or less is known to-
day of Central .Maska than of C!entral .Africa.
From Cape Flattery to F'ort Wrangell — nearly
a thousand miles — the ])assage is entirely in-
land, excepting short runs across the (lulf of
(leorgia and (j|ueen ('harlotte's Sound. The
.shores are forest-covered mountains, between
which the steamer passed as between the
lofty banks of a river. ( )ne of these channels,
(Irenville Strait, is forty-five miles long, per-
fectly straight, and, in some places, only four
hundred yards wide. Cliffs and snow-capped
mountains wall it in. .Vvalanches have mowed
bare swaths through the fir-trees from the
summits to the water's edge, and the
mountain lakes, lying a thousand or fifteen
hundred feet above the spectator, pour their
waters in foaming cataracts into the sea.
Twel'e hundred miles from the Columbia
River bar we touched at Foi* Wrangell, a
filthy little town at the mouth of the Stickeen,
where the miners from the gold-diggings up
the Stickeen River spend the winter in sciualor
and drunkenness. S. native village lies, be-
tween high tide and the forest, to the east of
the town, along a sweej) of the rocky beach,
liehind the huts may be seen the graves of
some Shamans, or " medicine-men." Their
functions, however, are more s])iritual than
medicinal, for these savages attribute death
and disease to the workings of evil s])irits. It
is the part of the Shaman to exorcise the evil
spirits or to call up the good. His remedies are

almost exclusively incantations and frenzied
])antomime, accompanied with the wil<l hubbub
of his rattles and drum. The Shamdns alone
have tombs. .Ml the other dead are burned on
funeial ])yres. At Wrangell we first saw the
tall ancestral columns, which are carved from
the trunks of huge trees, and sometimes are
eighty and one hundred feet high. Their co-
lossal symbolic carvings represent the totemic
genealogy of the cabin-dweller before whose
(loor they stand. They serve the double pur-
pose of frightening away evil s|)irits and sat-
isfying family pride. A few sick or bankrupt
miners were hanging about tlie .American
town. One ragamuffin, almost picturestjue in
tatters and dirt, was seated on the shoe-box
stejis of the " Miners' Palace Home and Rest-
rent," playing an asthmatic accordion to an
audience of half-naked Indians, wearing yel-
low headkerchiefs and cotton drawers.

.\fter a few hours' stay at Wrangell, we
sailed for Sitka by the outside pas.sage around
Cape Omnianey and IJaranoff Island, as the
inside passage is mMch longer.

.\s we entered the harbor of Sitka from the
sea the general api)earance of the place was
tropical.* The snowy cone of Kdgecumbe first
api)eared, then the sharj) peak of Vostovia —
a triangular patch of white against the sky.
F.verywhere below the snow-line the mount-
ains were green with luxuriant growth. The
harbor was protected against the sea by a
curved line of reefs, on which grew firs and
jjines and cedars, with bare trunks and tufts
of branches, making them look not unlike
|)alnis. The warm, moist atmosphere cur-
tained all the middle distance with a film of

' Observniions at Sitka Hurini; fourteen years give as
mean summer tempcr.iture, 54.2 Kalir. Mean winter
lem|)eraturc, 31.9; average 'emperature, 42.80.

ir)i74i

(I'cipyriglii, i88j, by Thk Ckntirv Co. All rights reser>«i. )

nyr

324

AAfOXG Tin-. Tlir.lXKlTS fX ALASKA.

Idui', and, in llit- forcj^rDund. a tkvl of very
graceful (aiiuc^, filled wiih naked or half-
naked IndiaIl^, < onipleted the illusion. A line
of surf seenud In liar e\ery a|i]iroaih to the
town, liut suddenly a narrow 1 h.innel o|iene(l.
The sliiji swunj; sharply to tlir ritihl ancl
glided into a long, narrow harlior. I'he In-
dian village is built upon tlu' lieaeh, and at
evening it was <<ivered hy the shadow of the
aiij<iining forest. The green spire on the liel-
fry of the (Ireek ehurch reached up aliove
everything e\ce|)t the former Russian gov-
ernor's •• castle," a huge log slruciure ]ierched
upon a iiinnacle of rock near the sea. The
church .in the lower ground was surrounded
bv the rambling, dilapidated houses and h<iv-
els of the Russi.m inhabitants, who then num-
bered about four hundred, their neighbors
being twii hundred mixed whites and about
tweUe hundred Sitka Indians. Sitka was
abandoned as a military station shortly at'ter
our arrival, since which time several elVorts
ha\e been made to induce ''ongress to or-
ganize some sort of government there.

When we landed at Sitka we forced our
way through a crowd of Indians, Russians,
half-breeds, Jews, and soldiers, to whom this
monthly arrival is life itself, and went directly
to the trading-store and post-office. Mr. C
H. Taylor, of Chicago, who supported the ex-
pedition, had written to engage I'hillips's fur-
trading schooner to take us to Vakutat, where
we were to begin our exploration. This
schooner was the only craft available for
rough work in the ice-drifts, so it was with
much anxiety that we asked :

" Where is your schooner ? "

" (lone to Hehring's Bay for a lo.id of furs,"
was the <lisa])iiointing answer.

.\fter fruitless efiforts to obtain something bet-
■.er. we decided to risk ourselves in one of the

large Indian < anoes. The .Maskans, having a
superlhiity of time on their hands, devote long
periods to the most tritling transactions, and,
in important liargains, it takes days, and
sometimes weeks, to re.ich an .igreement. We
found them grasping, shrewd, and uns ru|)U-
ious.

It was .\pril 161I1 when we fir>t .isked tor
a large war canoe, or yn/i/,- (a w(ird which
would seem to be related to the \a( in of the
(lermanic tongue), with crew. We negotiated
with several of tiie chiefs, sub-chiefs, and prin-
cipal men who owned the (anoes and slaves
to man them. ISut after wearing ourselves out
chaffering witii them, we found we could save
time iiy taking the experienced I'hillips's advice
to " let'm alone." Iiy and by, these aborig-
inal land-sharks began to offer terms. The
winter and spring drizzle set in, and we joined
tiie group of loungers around the trader's
stove. We visited " Sitka Jack," an arrant
old scoundrel, but one of the wealthiest men
of the .Sitka tribe. Of course his house stood
among the largest, at the fashionable end
of the town. These houses were built of
planks, three or four inches thick, each one
having been hewed from a log, with an adze
formed by lashing a metal blade to the short
prong of a forked .stick. In constructing the
native cabin, the planks are set on edge and
so nicely fitted that they need no chinking.
The shape of the house is S(|uare; a bark
roof is laid on, with a central aperture for
chimney. The door is a circular opening
about two feet in diameter. It is closed with a
sheet of hark or a bear-skin or seal-skin. On
arriving at Sitka Jack's hut we crawled through
the door, and found ourselves in the presence
of Jack's wives, children, and slaves, who
were lounging on robes and blankets laid
on a board Hooring which extended along

THLINKIT COVERED KASKET AND SFOON. (CIIILKXhT KwAiIN.)

k' '.y

^i:.,:,; -i L,..4jA||i^^iil|g,yi^:,

kans, having a
s, devote loll},'
Msactions, aii(l,
LI'S (Inys, iind
grLX'incnt. We
ind uns riipii-

first asked for
word wliieli
ya( In of the
We nej^'otiated
liefs, and prin-
iies and skives
; ourselves out
we could save
hiili|)s's advice

these al)orig-
r terms. 'I'he
and we joined
I the trader's
k," an arrant
vealthiest men
is house stood

hionahle end
ivere l)uilt of
ick, each one

with an adze
le to the short
nstructing the

on edge and

no chinking.
|uare ; a bark
1 aperture for
:ular opening
< closed with a
seal-skin. On
awied through
1 the presence
1 slaves, who
l)lankets laid
tended along

.i.UO.XG THE rill.LWKlTS /.V ALASKA.

3-'5

^V '-. :^ ^

i;olN<; KISHINd.

each side of the room. A dirt floor about
seven leet S(|uare was left in the center,
and on this the lire burned an<l the pot
of halibut boiled merrily. t)ur arrival was
hailed with stolid indifference, 'i'he family
( ircle reclined and S(iuatted as usual, and
weni on with the apparently enjoyable occu-
pation of sccjoping up handfuls of raw herring-
roe, which they munched with great gusto.
.Sitka Jack was absent on a trading expedition
to the Chilkaht kwalin or tribe. One of his
broiii'Ts-in-law was chief of this tribe, and
being a one-eyed despot of sanguinary prin-
1 iples not only held his tribe under absolute
(ontrol, but inspired his relatives and con-
nections with wholesome awe. His sister,
Mrs. ■• Sitka Jack," was, therefore, a ])ersoii
of great consequence, and her inthience sur-
passed even the usual wonderful authority
of llie Alaskan women. Kvideiitly she was
the head of tlie house, and as sucli s'le re-
ceived us haughtily. Slie weighed at least
two hundred pounds. She gave us her terms,
jiointed coldly at the slaves she would sentl
with us, and told us she was the sister of tli'J
terrii)le Chilkaiit chief. As we still hesitated,
she threw her weight into the scale, and said
she would go with us and protect us. We
could not get one of the great canoes

holding from sixty to eighty warriors, but
finally closed a bargain with Tah-ah-nah-
klekh for his canoe, of about four tons bur-
den. He was to act as pilot and steersman.
We hired Nah-sach, Klen, and Jack as
crew. Jack, our inter|)reter, was a Sitka In-
dian who had a smattering of mongrel Rus-
sian anil Knglish. Myers went with us as
jirospector and miner.

We had accumulated a cargo that looked
fully twice the size of the canoe, which, like
ail of her kind, was as buoyant as a bladder,
as graceful as a gull, and very capacious, .so
that by skillful stowage we loaded in the
entire cargo and left room for ourselves ; that
is, we could swing our ])addles, but we coulii
not change our seats. Jack, or Sam as we
had newly named him, was fond of " Hoo-
chinoo." This is a native distilled liipior,
colorless and vilely odorous, 'i'he stills are
large tin oil-cans, and the coils are giant kelp.
The Sitkans never set forth on an expedition
of unusual importance witiiout first getting
beastly drunk. Sam had evidently gauged the
importance of this expedition as immense. We
loaded him in as ( argo, and waited for the last
man, Myers, who presently appeared, dragging
at the end of a rope a half-grown black dog.
Myers took his place, his canine friend was put

326

AAfOXG THE THLIXKITS IX ALASKA.

IHE INUIAN MIJ.At.k AT MTKA.

in the l)ow, and amid the cheers of idle Sitka
we |ia<l(llcil rapidly toward the north. The
dog gazed wistfully at the retreating irowd.
then suddenly si)rang into the water and
swam ashore.

For a time we were in mortal terror, lest we
should capsi/e the shell by ourawkwardnes>; an
anxiety on our part that was e])itomized, at our
first landing, in Myers's fervent exclamation :

DOMESTIC 1«I«I. roK SKAI.-im. (llOf.NAH K«.<1IV.)

" Thank Heaven, I kin shift my foot ! "
One drowsv evening we saw the ])eak of
Edgecumhe for the last time. The great

truncated cone caught the hues of the sunset,
and we could note the gloom gathering deei)er
and deeper in the hollow of the (rater. Our
Indians were stolidly smoking the tobacco we
had given ihem, and were resting after the
labors of the day with bovine contentment.
Tah-.ili-nah-klukli related to us the Thlinkit
legend of Kdgecumbe:

•' .\ long time ago the earth sank beneath
the water, and the water rose and covered
the highest ])laces so that no man could live.
It rained so hard that it was as if t!ie sea fell
from the sky. .Ml was black, and ii became so
dark that no man knew another. Then a few
l)eople ran here and there and made a raft of
cedar logs, but nothing < ould stand against the
white waves, and the raft was broken in two.

•• On one jiart llnated the ancestors of the
Thlinkits, on the other the jjarents of all other
nations. The waters tore them a|)art, and they
never saw e.ich other again. Now their chil-
dren arc all diflerent. and do not understand
ea( h other. In the bhu k temi)est t'hethl was
torn from his sister Ah-gish-ahn-akhon j'The-
woman-who-sup])orts-tlie-eartli ']. C'hethl
[symboli/.ed in the osprey] called aloud to her,
'Vou will never see me again, but you will
hear my voice for_'ver 1' Then he became an
enormous bird, and llew to south-west till no
eye could follow him. .\h-gish-ahn-akhon
climbed .above the waters and reached the
summit of Kdgecumbe. The mountain

opened ai
the earth,
she went (
held the e
shaped lik
on a ]Mllar
lar. Kvil
kind seek
The terrib
lower darl

sways in thi
and seems 1
is good an
C'helhl livi
His nest is
hole througl
"He cam
and there i
his hiding-])
coming stoi
is his voice
wings in the
is the rustli
is the tlashii

• Hishop Vf
; versions of thi

iwi oi. a>a«nkar)nai«isi3iil^|

!9r

fiH"^^

of the sunset,
ihcrinn deeper
e (rater. CHir
le tobacco we
tint; after the

<:imtentnient.
the Thlinkit

ank lieneath
and covered
in could live,
f t!ie sea fell
i; l)e( anie so

Then a few
ade a raft of
(1 a^^ainst the
roken in two.
estors of the
s of all other
art, and they
)\v their chil-
)t understand
;t Chethl was
ikhon [' The-

,. e'hethl
aloud to her,

)Ut you will
e became an
li-west till no
h-ahn-akhon
reached the
mountain

AAfO.VG Tllli TIfl.INKITS IX ALASKA.

y-1

opened and re eived her into the hosom of
the earth. That hole (the c rater] is where
she went down. I'',ver snice that time she has
held the eartii above the water. The c.irth is
shai)e<l like the back of a turtle and rests
on a jMllar ; Ah-j;ish-ahn-akhon holds the i)il
lar. I''.vil spirits that wish to destro) man-
kind seek to overthrow her or drive herawa\.

We passed a sut cession of ivi'rgrtcii isl-
ands with steep, rocky shores, and in the
distanie we could see the jagjjed alps of the
main-land. The trees were ptin( ipally lir. hem-
lock, and cedar. 'I'he i-\ergreen iiiiderbriish
was .so dense and so matted with ferns and
moss as to be almost impemtr.dile. I he
a( ( imiulation of mo>s was t'rci|iienily ten or

The terrible battles are long and fierce in the filtcen feet ilcrp. I'eat-bogs and (dal-lields
lower darkness. Often the pillar nx ks and were (ommon features of the islands, but tlie

IHK MAIN STKKKT <M- SO KA.

sways in the struggle, and the earth trembles
and seems like to fall, but .\h-gish-ahn-akhon
is good and strong, so the earth is safe,
t'hethl lives in the bird Kunn.i-kaht-eth.
His nest is in the top of the mountain, in the
hole through which his sister disa])iieareil.

•'lie ( arries whales in his claws to this eyrie,
and there devours them. He swoops from
his hiding-place and rides on the edge of the
(oming storm. The roaring of the temi)est
is his voice calling to his sister. He clajis his
wings in the jieals of thunder, and its rumbling
is the rustling of his pinions. The lightning
is the flashing of his eyes." •

" Iti>li0|) Voni.nminofi", Wr.niigell, and I ).ill h.ive given
\ versions of this legend.

coal was found to be sul[)hurous and bitu-
minous. Clams were abundant and good. The
smallest, when o|)eneil. were about the si/e
of an orange. The largest shells were used
as soup-plates by the nati\es. The waters
of the archipelago at all seasons are alive
with halibut. They are caught with a pecul-
iar hook, fastened to a thick line maile of
twisted cedar-root fiber. Our bill of fare
in .Alaska included clams, mussels, herring,
herring-roe, codfish, salmon, jiorpoise, seal,
ducks, geese, and halibut — eternally hali-
but. X'enison and wild goat and bear's flesh
were to be had only occasionally, and the
craving for good warm-blooded meats was
incessant with us whites. .Another intense
craving was for sweets. We devoured our

3'«

.i.i/OA'c; nil'. Tiii.ixKiis i.\ ai.aska.

su|)|ily of su^nr, ami when it was exhausted wc mostly c aptivcs fmin the trilies c»f the interior,
roiisunu'il inmh seal-oil, ami (heweM tlie Nweel
inner I'.irk of a spec ies of i edar, of wliit li hark
the Imlians dry ^reat (|uantilies tur tlie winter.
( >n the ii\\\ we sighted the inoulh (if the
( hilkaht. I'rolessor Davidson of tin' ( oast Sur-
vey has I lei'n U|> this river a little heyoml tlien|i
]ier village. The two villages are governed hy
the Chilkiiht ehief hel'ore alluded to as •' Sitka
Jack';/' hroihcr-in-law. lie is a desjiot and

or from hostile roast trihes. So little distinc-
tion is made hetween ihe hond and die frei-
that at first a stranger fmds it ililtii ult to de
le( t the slaves. They sit around the lire and
e.it from the same dish with their owners,
who joke with them, and |ila(e them on .i
fooling of ]ierfei t soi ial ec|ualii\. lUit the
slaves hew the wood and c arry the water and
paddle the ( anoe. 'I'liey cannot marry with-

AS ALASKAN INTKKIUK.

does not encourage e.\]jlorations of his river,
though recently he has become so envious of
the gold mines on the Stii keen, that it is said
he will help golil ]irospeetors to ascend his
river. This one-eyed chief is very savage and
vindictive, hut as he holds a mono|)oly of the fur
trade U|) and down his river he is very wealthy
and influential, and can he of great assistance
to any expedition.* He owns many slaves,

.\ gooil jilati of cxploiatiMii vvoulil lii' liy U\<i
partus i'oo|ic'r.iling : one Id j;() up tlic Yukon, the
oilier u|> tile Cliilknlil, lo meet at a depot of supply
previously located on the upper \\;kon.

out the consent of their master, and they are
unpleasantly liahle to he offered as sacrifices
on their master's grave.

I'rom Chalham Strait ue jiaddled against
liea<l vvii\ds into Cross Soun<l. In .1 sudden
turn the whole vast sound openeij to us, and
the Mount .St. Klias alps appeared like a
shadowy host of snowy domes and pinnacles,
thief among them were the twin peaks l'"air-
weather and Crilhm. .\hout this tim;' we met a
canoe-load of Hoonahs, who had lomeninety
miles to dig their spring ])otatoes. On a
sunny slope, sheltered by surrounding forests

and sentll
|ilanled s(
Russians ;
to dig las
for the f<;
ahout the
dens of S
heels, turn
such hard
hie for (I
enough.
.Near C;

.*a»-&,«»4«SsM1«»E«SIWf

wnr

(iIiIk' intorior,
() little <listii)( -
il :mtl the I'ri'c

liillii (lit to (k-
nil tlu- lire jiikI
I their owners,
i( e them on a
ality. Hut the
• the water and
lot niarrv wilh-

anii they are
I MS sacrifices

aiUlled against

In ,1 sudden

neil to us, and

i|)eared like a

and ]iinnacles.

in [leaks l'"air-

linii' we met a

id (opie iiinety

itatoes. On a

unding forests

.l\/().\(, rill: Til 1. 1. \K IIS J.\ .II.ISA.I.

^'9

TMI.INKIT WAK LANOK. (HAIhAm KwXhN.)

and sentinel peaks, these people had long ago
planted some itotatoi's pnxured from the
Russians at Sitka, and every year they <:ome
to dig last year's (Top, and sow the ground
for the following spring. The tul)ers were
nl)()ut the si/e of large marhles. In the gar-
dens of Sitka are grown excellent |)otatoes,
heets. turnips, radishes, lettuce, cahhage, and
such hardy vegetahles. The soil is not suita-
ble tor ci'reals, neither is the season long
enough.

Near I'ajjc Spencer we canii)ed on a little

island, where 'I'sa-tate, a young man of the
Iloonah kwahn, had his summer hut. Three
families lived here with Tsa-tate; anil, though
he was mui h younger th.m the other men of
the fimily, he was the head of his clan.
'I's.i-tate's cahin was like all the other wooden
huts we had seen. The cross poles and rafters
were hiuig with (ish and snow-shoes and nets.
The si<les were (ox ered with trajis, ' bows,
spears, |)addles, anil skins of bear, sable, and
silver-fox. The women sat around the fire,
weaving baskets of tlifTerent shapes and colors

Vol.. \ XI v.— 28.

TIILINKir BASKET WORK. (HOOnAh KuAiIN.)

^m^'mmmm

[,»■ . (

33°

^A/(KV(; rill: TIII.IXKITS l.\ ALASKA.

LI4)AK. KHII.KAIII KwAhn.)

tVoiii ilu- t'llnT of :i lonn, fine root, which they
soaki'il ill w;itcr and sphl into threads. ( )iu'
old woiiian was tliowing tlic scams of a pair

wdman's wooden comd. (chilkAmtj

of sual-skiii hoots so as to soften them, and
another was |ioun(Hng some tobacco leaves
into snuff. A man with a fiery red head was
carving a |ii|)e in which to smoke the to-
bacci) we liad given him, anil a sick baby,
tenderly watched by its mother, lay in a ( or-

ner, with its mouth and nostrils siufted lull
of some che\\ed-up weed. .\s darkness ( ame
on and the halibut fishernu'n returned from
(he sea. we all gatlured about the central
fire in Tsa-late's hut, and Mrs. Tsa-late lighted
the jiitch-wood caudles, and with down aii<l
resin dressed an ugly gash in the sole of
her husband's loot. The < hildren slept or
poked the lire with ati iimnunity from sdild-
ing that would have cheered the hiart of
e\cry ( ivili/ed fi\e-year-ol(l. .\ xoung girl sat
demurely in a Kirner. Until they are of mar-
riageable age, and eiititleil to wear the silver
ornament through the lower li|), the maidens
are carefully watched by the elder women of
the family. .\n oM woman stirred and skimine<l
the lioiling pot of porpoise llesh. Tsa-tale, re-
( lining conifortablv on a di\aii of bear-skins,
answired our ipiestions ami repeated tribal
legends, lie pointed to his son, a bo\ about
li\e \ears old, «ho, he said, would be his suc-
cessor, as head of the clan. It was dillK ult to
ascertain the exact law of sU( cession among
the Thlinkits but the chiefship seems to follow
the direct line, though, as in all other savage
nations, this is stan ely a rule, tor the
lineal heir may be set asiile in favor < f
a more atieptable man. In the inherit; in <■
of personal |)roj)erty the collateral is prefer, efl

to the
pro perl)
j)ilss to
band's
of the
ini est.
her sue
lieculiar
uifant
lake to
heritiinf
of regar
as prop
I onipetc
chases
into till
pecuniar
l)elit ami
law, col
Thei)
war on
he (an r.
to enfor<
pense.
north an
eighteen
to his ui
mummy-
was reas
husband
<()ine iiiti
more wi
chasing I
no hurt
goods wil
the betr;
(leinand
If in a ft
(symboli/
iinpropiti
principal
iierents, <
and stanc

■'til' I I I j ili ' ll Kl ll

^fe^<--?

Ill

I'V

Mulkil tull
Mikiuv.s ( ainr
vturiu'd tVoin
llu- ciiitnil
:i-ta;i' linlilL-il
til down aixl

till- solf l)f

Rii •>K'|)t or
V iVum s(ii|(l-
tiii' JKari (if

iiiiin j^irl sat
arc (if inar-
L'ar tlu' silver

tlic inaiik'iis
lur \M linen of
anil skiiiiiiK'il
IV.a-tat(.', R'-
o( lnar->kins,
•|n'atr(| iriiml

a Im)\ aiioiit

il lu' lii^ siic-

l^ llittll lilt to

cssion amonj;
cms to Ibllow

other savajje
iilc, tor the

ill lavor ( !"
iiilieriti in r

I is iirel'tT.of!

.lUOXa Till: I II I. INK ITS l.\ .II..ISK.I.

431

to till' lini'al rflati()iislii|). Tlu' wims, or more
|iro|n'rly the willows, lioinj,' |icrsoiial iirojuTt).
pass to the (iillateral iii\t ol kin ol their Inis
liaiiil's totem, lor the marriage of two (ieo|ile
dl' the same totem i-' loiiMilereil a kinil ol
iinest. 'Ilie willow, in any e\ent, takes with
her such |iossessioiis as have al«a\s been
peenliarly her own. She also lakes her own
iiilant liiililreii; naturally, then, she ^wi.ilil
take to her new hnsliand the ihil(lreii> in-
heritunee, whiili may aiiount lor ilu' lialiii
of rcgarilinn the male collaterally next of kin
as iiroper heir. If there lie no male survivor
< oni|K'tent to receivt.' the vyulow, or if he piir
(hates freedom with ^oods, she then passes
into the open matrimonial market, with her
pecuniary .ittrai lions. Siimtiines the heir re-
lieU ami refuses to at i ept his former sister-in-
law, ( ousin, aunt, or whatever she may he.
I'hen her totemie r ' i nily relatives wa^e
war on the insulter and such of his totem as
he< an rally iromid him, the oiijet t liein^ either
to enforce hei ri^;ht or extort a proper re( oni-
pense. .\mon^ the .\si)n(|ues, lurther to the
north and west, I saw r. youn^ fellow of aliout
eighteen years of age who had just fallen heir
to his tiix le's widow. .\s 1 looked u|)on her
inummy-like proportions I thou^iii that here
was reasonable cause for war. Sometimes a
hiisliand already lilieraily provided for will
(ome into a misfortune in the shajieof one or
more wi lows. 'I'he only escape is by jiur-
chasinn freedom. In fact, there seems to be
no hurt to a Thlinkit's honor that money or
m)ods will not heal. The scorning of a widow,
tile betrayal of a maiden, and murder, all
demand blood or pecuniary compensation.
If in a feud all negotiations fail, and Kaiuikh
(symbolized in the wolf), the (lod of War, be
unpro|)itious, and semi private war, then the
principal antagonists, with their totemii ad
iierents, don their helmets .ind coats of paint,
and stand lacing each other in two lines, eai h

IIALIUUT H04)K. (ll(>ON.(ll KuAltN.)

sMAmXn's llKlMSIirK ANIl WAK KNIVPS
i. IIIHIN^II KuAhv.

t'tlll.KAllI.

line holding to a rope with the left hand, and
wielding heavy kni\es with the right. They
•idvaiKe, and hack .and hew, v\illi more yells
than bloodshed, until one side or the other
< ries the Tlilinkit tor f<iriiiri. In this tiuel, any
warrior violates the code who lets go the
rope witii tile left hand, unless lie be wound-
ed, or torn iVoiii it ; when he has let go, he is
tiieii out of the t"ight and must retire. If the
strife be inter-tribal, or public war. the plan of
comi)at is surprise and suildeii c.ipture. The
villages, from necessity as will as from choi( e,
are phu eil always at the edge of liigli tide. The
forces of the aggressive tribe embark in a fleet
of war canoes, and by a swift and stealthy voy-
age strike the village from the sea and endeav-
or to take it by storm. If th.ey are resisted they
generally retire at once. IT.'; Chilkaht kwalin
came down suddenly U|)on the main \ illage of
the Sitka kwahn while I was near by. but suc-
ceeded in getting possession of only half the
houses, so the opjiosing foices divided the
village lietween them and ke])t up a lively but
rather harmless comliat for three days, at the
end of which the invaders were bought ofl'
with s'lme loads of furs. .\ member of the

332

AMONG THE TlfLINKITS I.X ALASKA.

sham.^n's katti.e, (itnoN'Xft kwAhn.)

Sitka kwdlin hail murdered his Chilkaht s(|ua\v
in a fit of passion, and this was the cause of
the conflict, 'i'he goods |)ai(l over as recom-
jiense went i)rincipally to the rehitives of the
murdered woman. In these tribal 'onthcts
the ca])tured are enslaved, the dead are
scalped, and all property taken is held as
booty. Hostages and participants in rope
duels do not take food from the right hand for
several days, because, figurativelv (and lit-
erally), it is unclean. A head powdered with
ilown is a sign of truce.

We were now within five days' journey of
V'akutat, which is near Icy Bay, at which
place one of the Mount St. Klias glaciers

ends in the sea. Threats and bribes were
alike useless. I'ay or no pay, our crew would
not put to sea. tah-ah-nah-klckh pointed to
the mountain, and said :

•'One mountain is as good as anotlier.
Tliere is a \ery big one. (lodimb that if you
want to."

Thus ])erishe(l our ho|)e of climbing Mount
St. I'llias. We turned our course directly to
the main-land, about thirty miles away, and
landed a little below Cape Spencer. .\ sea-
wind filled the coast-waters with icebergs,
and we had great dilfuulty in picking our way
through them. 1 ntJticed that, when journey-
ing through the lloating ice in good weather,
our Indians would carefully avoid striking
piec :es of ice, lest they should ollend the Ice
S])irit. Hut when the Ice Spirit beset us with
])eril, they did not liesitate to retaliate by bang-
ing his subjects, .\fier picking our way through
the ice for three days, we came upon a small
temi)orary cam]) of Moonahs, who were seal-
hunting. We fijund little camps of a family
or two scattered along both shores. One of
the largest glaciers from I'airweather comes
into tiie bay, and thus keeps its waters filled
with the largest icel)ergs, even in the sum-
mer season, for which reason the bay is a
fa\orite place for seal-hunting. The seal is
the natives' meat, drink (the oil is like
melted butter), and clothing. 1 went seal-
hunting to learn the art, which recjuires care
and patience. The hunter, whether on an ice
floe or in a canoe, never moves when the
seal is aroused. When the animal is asleep,
or has dived, the hunter darts forward. The
spear has a barbed detachable head, fas-
tened to the shaft by a jilaited line made
from sinew. The line has attached to it a
marking buoy, which is merely an inflated
seal's bladder. The young seals are the vic-
tims of the Thlinkit boys, who kill them with
bow and arrow. These seal-hunters used a
little moss and seal-oil and some driftwood fiir
fuel. In tiie morning we arose late, and found
that our friends of the night l)efore had

hKDWs WOOD riPE-nnwL (hoonAii). 2. pii'E-bowl mauk khom dhkk antlek (chh.kAiit).
3. WOOD pu'E-bowl with native copi'hr top (As6NgrE).

. '. mi*t ■ 1 ", -aw^aK'KT^' W IM Bg 'i

^T"

/i.ifO.VC THE TIllJNKITS IX ALASKA.

333

1 bribes were
ur (Tcw would
■kli pointed to

(I as another,
nib tiiat if you

inibing Mount
rse directly to
les away, and
enter. A sea-
witli icebergs,
icking our way
when journey-
good weather,
av(jid striking
ut'lcnd the Ice

beset us with
aliate by bang-
ir way through
; ujjon a small
vho were seal-
)s of a family
iiores. ( )ne of
veather comes
ts waters filled
I in the sum-

the bay is a
;. 'The seal is
le oil is like

1 went seal-
li re(iuires care
:ther on an ice
ves when the
mal is asleep,
forward. The

e head, fas-
id line made
iched to it a
ly an inflated
ire the vic-
kill them with
miters used a

driftwood for
;Ue, anil found
it before had

silently stolen away, taking with them much
of our firewood.

.Mr. Taylor decided to return home, and
we acfompanieil him to Sitka. I here I reiln-
gageil .Sam and Mycis, and. obtainmg a new
crew, returned at once to a bay aiiout twenty
miles south-east of Mount Fairwcather. .\ly
pur|)ose was to explore the b.iy, cross the
coast range, and strike the u|>|)er waters of
Chilkaht. On the shores of the bay we
found hospitality with a band of Hoonahs.
Leaving the crew with our large canoe
under the diarge of Myers at this|)la( e, I took
a smaller one and went with (,'ocheen, the
chief of the band, north- westerly up the bay. Af-
ter about forty miles' travel we came to a small
village of ,\s<in(jues. They re< eived us with
great hospitality, and as our canoe had been
too small to carry any shelter, the head man
gave nie a bed in his own cabin. He had a
great many wives, who busied themselves
making me comfortable. 'l"he buckskin re-
enforcement of my rilling trowsers excited
childish wonder. 1 drew pictures of horses
and men separate, and then of men mounted
on horses. Their astonishment over the won-
derful animal was greater than their deliglit
at comprehending the utility of the trowsers.
The .\laskan women are childish and pleas-
ant, yet ([uick-witted and capable of lier.rt-
less vindictiveness. Their authority in all
matters is un(|uestioned. No bargain is made,
no exjjedition set on fiK>t, without first
consulting the women. 'I'heir veto is never

TULINKIT WnMAN. (sUKA KWAHN.)

tobacco. The whole people are curious in
the matter of trade. I was never sure that
1 had done with a bargain, for they claimed
and exerciseil the right to undo a tontra( t
at any time, i)rovided they could return the
consi<leration received. 'I'liis is tiieir coiie
among themselves. l''or example: I met at
the moutli of tiie Cliiikaiil a native trader
who had been to l''ort Sinip.son, about six
hundred miles away, anil failing to get as
much as he gave in the interior of .Alaska

disregartled. I iKjught a silver-fox skin from for the skins, was now returning to the in-

Tsa-tate, but his wife made him return the
articles of trade and recover the skin. In the
same way I was peq<etually iK-ing annoyed
by having to undo bargains lK.-cause '• his
wife said c/ck/i," that is, "no." I hired a fel-
low to take me altout thirty miles in his
canoe, when my own crew was tired. He
agreed. I i)aid him the tobacco, and we were
about to start when hi.-, wife came to the
beach and stop]>ed lui.i. He (juietly un-
loaded the canoe and handed me back the

tenor to find the first vender and revoke the
whole transaction, .\mong themselves their
currency is a species of wampum, worth
about twenty dollars a string, i)eaver-skins
worth about a dollar a skin, and sable or
marten worth about two dollars a skin. From
the whites they get blankets worth four
dollars apiece, and silver dollars ; gold they
will not touch (except around Sitka and
U'rangell), but they accept copper and silver.
They are a laughing, good-natured peoi)le.

shamAn's rattle. (as6nijiie kuAhn.)

334

AMONG THE TULIXKITS /.V ALASKA.

HONK STAKKS K'»K MAHIKN TK \

INIKKIDK 0( ALASKA »

ordinarily very i|uiL't. Kven llicir large meet-
ings are subdued and orderly. They arc
undemonstrative. The mothers do not fondle
nor play with their children niu<h, but a
stranger lan win their hearts by kindness
to their little ones, i'hey consider corporeal
l)unishment a disgrace, and I <li<l not see a
child sirui'k during the time I «as among
them. A rebuke, a sharj) time, or exclusion
from the cabin seemed to be the only ]junish-
ments. Even the dogs are curiously exempt
from punishment and abuse, and a more
wolfisii, starved, mangy lot of curs it would be
hard to find, dood bear-dogs they will not
sell at any ])rire. With all their gentleness of
voice and manner, and their absolute res])ect
for the rights of the smalltst and youngest of
the family, their love and aflec tion seemed
of the coolest sort. Kiiipiette reipiired only
about forty days of ostensible nioiiriiing. The
l(jss of children seemed to cause the greatest
grief. They have a curious habit of blacking
the tace with a mixture of seal-oil and lamp-
black, or burnt ])it(h, but 1 believe this cus-
tom, whatever its origin, is now merely a kind
of toilet, to be used according to die whim
of the individual.

I'roni this .VsiuKpie village 1 went, with a part v
of mountain goat-hunters, up into the .Mount
St. I'".lias alps back of Mount I'airweather —
that is, to the north-east (jf that mountain.
For this trip our party made elaborate prep-
arations. We donned belted shirts ma le of

s(|uirrel ^kins, fur head-dresses (generally
(onital), seal-skin bootees fitting \ery closely,
and hu ed half-way to the knee. Ue c arried
spears for alpenstocks, bows and arrows, raw-
hide ropes, ami one or two old Hudson Bay
ritles. The ( linii)ing was very laiiorious work.
The mountains, wiiere imt lox ered with ice
or snow, were either of a ( rumi)ling scliistose
character or ice-worn liiiKslone, and some-
times granite. The sides were terribly ruggeil;
some of the fate walls were about eight hun-
dred feet sheer, with a foot ^.lope of shell-
ro< k or i/i7>n.< lA' two hundred or ihree hundred
leet more. I'larmigan were seen on the lower
levels where the ground was bare, but 1 saw
nothing on which they ( ould feed. The goats
kept well up toward the summit, amid the
snow-tiehls, and fed on the grass which
sprouted along the edges of melting drifts.
They were the wariest, keenest animals I ever
hunted. I'he animal is like a large white
goat, with long, coarse hair and a he,i\y coat
of silky underlleei e. The horns, out of which
the natives carve spoons, are shoil. shavp, and
black.

.\lter (Tossing this coast range the country
seemed iniu h the same — rugged, bleak, and
impassable. The Indians with me, so far as I
could understan<l them, said it was an exceed-
ingly rough <()untr\ all the wa)' over, and
that the Chilkaht River had its rise among
just such aljis as tho^e around us, only it
was wanner in the t'hilkaht mountains, and
there was more grass and plenty of wild goats,

THLINKIT TKAVKLlNi; rilKSI.

sheep, and be.irs. We found a bear thai, so
far as 1 know, is peculiar to this muntry.
It is a beautiful bluish under color, with
the tips of the long hairs silvery white.
■Phe traders call it " St. Mlia.s's silver bear."
The skins are not < Dinmon,

AMONG THE TIllJNKITS IX ALASKA.

335

L's (generally
; very ('iosely.
•. Wc ( ariied
1 arrows, raw-

Ihulson Hay
borioiis work.
L'rcd with ice
iliiiL! scliistosc
^•, and somc-
rrihly runtjcd;
lit ciniit luin-
opu of .slicll-
ihiL'c lunulrod

on tlic lower
ire, hut 1 saw
d. The jioats
nit, amid the

grass which
lelting drifts,
iiinials I ever
I large white

a he.'vy coat

out of which
)n, shavp, and

.• the country
d, bleak, and
lie, so far as I
as an e.xcccd-
ay over, and
s rise among
id us, only it
Duniains, and
of w ild goats,

hear thai, so

this country.

r color, with

silvery white.

> silver l)ear."

Being unable to g(j further overland 1 re-
turned to the Asiinijue cani|). 'I'liere we fitted
ice-guanls to a small canoe, and with ice-
hooks |)ulled our way through, and carried
our canoe over the floes and among the ice-
bergs, to the extreme limit of so-called open
water in tiiat direi tion. The ice-guards were
merely wooden fal>e sides hum.; to a false
prow. From this point, also, 1 found liie
interior impenetrable, and went to a temporary

Here he paused again, picked up the corner
of his S(|uirrel robe and raised it with a sweep-
ing forward gesture, which he maintained till
his words had ])roduce(l their full effe( t, when
the sing-song intonation would begin again.

Coon-nah-nah-thkle, for that was his name,
showed me his sorcerer's kit. There was an
immense drum of stretched seal-skin or goat-
skin, made to ac company him in 'lis incanta-
tions, and to terrify the wicked spirits preying

rm.isKir ancestkai, spoons, (i'kom mokns oi .moi ntain «.(

mtONAH KW.iHN.

(ani|) of seal and goat lumters, who were
camped on a ledge of rocks abo\e the crunch-
ing and grinding icebergs, 'flie head man of
this camp was a young fellow of about thirty,
who was both Shaman ("medicine-man")
and hereditary chief. He was the most
thoughtful and entertaining Thlinkit 1 had
met. He told me that within his own life-
time this ])lace where we now were had been
solid ice. He would listen with breathless
attention whenever 1 spoke, and then reply
in low, musical intonations, almost like chant-
ing. His narration of the traditions of his
l)e()ple was jiathetic in its solemn earnestness.
He said :

■■ \'ou are the onl\ white man that has
ever been here, but 1 have heard of your
|)eople. liefore I was born — a long time ago
— a ship came to the iiKJutli of this bay, and
gave the Thlinkits iron to ni .ke knives like
this one. Before that tlv ' ;.^. ^ knives

from c(jpper or from stone, like this."

Then lie would |)ause, fix his eyes on me,
and hold up the knife. When he saw 1 had
absorbed his words, he would gi\e a graceful
wave of the hand and (ontinue:

"Then the Thlinkits had many furs, — foxes,
and bear, and sable, — all the people were
warm, all were happy, and lived as \'ehl had
set them to live |or after \'ehTs example, I
don't know which]. 'There was plenty to eat,
and ])lenty to wear. Now, sometimes we are
hungry and wear ragged robes."

upon the life of the sick person. The drum
liad formerly belongeil to a celebrated Sha-
man, and his spirit was either in the drum
itself or had passed into the possessor of
the drum, I could not determine which. I
found it to be a common belief that any-
thing that had belonged to a dead wizard
possessed some inherent virtue. For this
reason it was almost imjjossible to secure
Shaman instruments. 'These Shamans claim
to be able to see the " life " or soul leaving the
body or being dragged from it by spirits, and
it is their business to seize the soul with the
moulh and breathe or force it liack into the
body. The dress they wearde|)ends upon what
malign spirits they ileterniine are at work. 1
only saw one Shaman exorcising, and 1 do not
believe he would haveconiinued had he known
I was observing him. He kneaded, pounded,
yelled, chanted, frothed, swayed to and fro,
plaved tunes all up and down the suflering
patient, blew in his mouth and no.strils, and
literally worried the life out of him. In gen-
eral practice the Shaman lontinues this per-
formance till the wretched ]iatient declares
he is better or well. If he <ures, the Sha-
man gets large pay. If he kills, he restores
the goods he has j reviously received on
account. If any one who is not a regular
Shaman does anything for a ]iatient who dies,
the self-constituted doctor is held resjjonsi-
ble, and must pay forfeit in life or goods, if
the patient is obdurate and will not declare

B W^M

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AMONG THE THLINKlTSi IN ALASKA

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that the spirits have left him, the Shaman
makes that statement for him. The hair is
generally worn long by the .Alaskan women ;
always short l>y the men, except the Shamans,
who never cut or comb the hair, nor are the
matted locks benefited any by the habit of
powdering and greasing for occasions of cere-
mony. The hair is kept tied up, except when
the Shaman is exercising his jjeculiar func-
tions. Then it is shaken out in long, snaky
ropes, which dance over the shoulders. Some
take these ropes of hair and stick them all
over with flat scales of pitch, increasing thereby
the Medusa-like appearance of the head. 1
made for myself a fair reputation for sorcery
while in Coon-nah-nah-thkle's cam]! by a
judicious use of my repeating-rifle md re-
volver. The chief and I shot at a mark, an<l
I am afraid he was the better shot. He gave
me a little amulet (whale totem I, which he
saiil would bring me good hick if I would
hang it on my riHe. Then he took the
weapon and passed his hands over it, and
blew on it. wiiich he said would prevent its
ever hurting him.

The spirits of the Thlinkit mythology are
cla' ,.fied as Ki-yekh, spirits of the air ; Tah-
ki-yekh, spirits of the earth ; Te-ki-yekh, spirits
of the water; and N'ekh, subordinate or minor
spirits. The spirits of those killed in war be-
come Ki-yekh, and the aurora is the flashing
of their lights when they are dancing their

war dances. Hence, an auroral display is a
sign of war. The chief deity of the Thlinkits,
the Hramah, the Creator, is Velil. ( )ne would
sujjpose that he would be the deity of the
Tinneh, or interior Indians. N'et among the
Thlinkits the raven is held iieculiarly sacred
for his sake, and the early writers (Venianii-
noff and Wrangell) declare the raven to be a
foul and ill-omened bird among the Tinneh.
Yehl is symbolized in the raven for the reason
that one of his chief exploits, the bringing of
fresh water to the Thlinkits, was done under
the guise of a raven. The sum of Thlinkit
l)hilosoi)hy is, " Live as ^'ehl lived." 'I'heir
great totem is Yehl's totem or the raven to-
tem, the raven being the symbol. .Another
scarcely inferior totem is the Kaniikh (wolf),
die wolf being the symbol. The third (and,
so for as 1 know, the last) totem is Tset'kh
(the whale). Who Tset'kh was before he was
a whale and what he did I could not learn.

Their totemic system is the most c:urious
one that ever came to my noti( e. The to-
temic relationshi|) i.', stronger than that of
blood. The child follows the totem of the
mother, and in family (|iiarrels the opponents
must array themselves with their totems;
hence, half-brothers are often (ailed on to
fight each other. I used to be surprised
at having my vagabonds tell me perfect
strangers were their " brothers " or " sisters,"
until I four.d it meant brother or .sister

'.■M«4^iin>-tV«9t -f!>.>i-'«JK«^> ) ,v.<p«Ml^«*iK-tf .^-mAH ^t

AMONG THE THLINKITS IN ALASKA.

337

display is a

(Ik- Thlinkits,

( )nc would

deity of the

t .inu)!!},' the

uiiarly sa( red

■rs ( Venianii-

ivcii to l)e a

the 'I'inneh.

ir the reason

; 1 (ringing of

done under

of Thlinkit

ived." 'I'heir

he raven to-

Another

iniikh (woli),

e third (and,

•111 is Tset'kh

lefore he was

not learn.

most c:urious

ice. Tlie to-

lian that of

totem of the

he opponents

heir totems ;

I ailed on to

le surprised

me perfect

or •' sisters,"

ur or sister

in the totem. The Kaniikh (wolf) totem is
the warrior caste. Men of this caste are
the soldiers of the whole people, and are led
in war only by chiefs of their own caste.
Kanukh is either the older brother of Yehl or
an older de'ty — I don't know which. He is
now the god of war and patron saint of the
" wolves," but the myths tell of a celebrated
encounter between him and Yehl. It is diffi-
cult to arrive at the religion of the Thlinkits
from the stories of these deities. In my short
visit I certainly could not, and Veniaminoflf,
who lived among them, has left little informa-
tion on the subject.

A very wise old raven was pointed out
to me as the embodied spirit of a defunct
Shaman. Suicides are very frequent, because
the tired person wishes to enter upon a hap-
pier existence ; this and the superstition as to
the aurora points to a belief in a spirit life.
Then again all bodies are cremated (except
Shamans), and whatever may have been the
origin of the pyre, the reason given now is
that the spirit may not be cold on the jour-
ney to the Spirit Land. A Thlinkit, in answer
to my <iuestionings, replied :

•' Doctors wont burn."

" But why don't you try ? " I persisted.

" Because we know they will not burn."

I once saw a body ready for the funeral
pyre. It was lying behind the cabin in a
crouching attitude, with a native blanket from
the wool of mountain goats thrown over it, and
its robes and possessions near by. A hole had
been cut through the rear wall of the cabin,
for if the corpse had been carried through
the entrance, it would have left the _ dread
mystery ot death upon the threshold, and the
living could not enter. The Shaman attends
to the burning. One. day a litde boy of the
Sitka Kwahn pointed out to me as a

Shamar. He wore the unouched long hair. I
asked how they knew so soon that he was to
be a Shaman.

" Oh," they answered, " he was alive a long
time ago as a Shaman." At the proper
time, this boy must take his degree in the
college of Shamanism by fasting in solitude
in the wilderness. No one must approach
him, and his food must be the roots of the
earth. When he has become sufficiently spir-
itualized, the Great Shaman will send to him
the otter, to impart the secrets of his order.
The novice will meet the animal. They will
salute three times. He will fall upon the
otter and tear out its tongue and take off its
skin. Then in a frenzy he will rush back to
his tribe and madly bite whatever comes in
his way. These bites are often dangerous, but
are sought for as wounds of honor. This
frenzy tit among the Haidahs is called be-
VoL. XXIV.— 29.

coming " Taamish." If the otter is not
forthcoming in due time there are various ar-
tifices to compel his jjresence, such as getting
the tooth or finger of a dead Shaman and
holding it in the mouth, .\fter the Nawloks, or
evil spirits, have thus wrestled with him, the
Shamdn ever after has his o\> n attendant ret-
inue of Nawloks and Yekhs, or even of higher
spirits, whom he summons to his aid. In
supernatural matters, therefore, his word is
law.

At Coon-nah-nah-thkle's, I found the peo-
ple using stone-axes, knives, and other imple-
ments, some of which I brought away with me.
They were made of hypo-chlorite and slate,
tempered in oil. The children there were greatly
frightened at me, and would not let me approach
them. On my return I encountered another Sha-
man, and purchased from him a finely carved
medicine rattle. But a skinny hag snatched
it from my hand, just as I had concluded the
bargain, and compelled the "Doctor" to
return me my tobacco. She said the rattle had
been the favorite one of her dead husband,
a Shaman, who had left her and his rattles
to this nephew, the " Doctor," who certainly
did not seem too happy over it. By judicious
coaxing and tobacco 1 succeeded in pacifying
her, and renewed my tra<le with the nepliew.
The rattle is carved with crane's, owl's, and
raven's heads, and has ([Ueer long-tongued
demons turning back somersaults over it.

From Cocheen's 1 turned southward qnd
homeward. I had applied for a year's leave
with the purpose of exploring the interior of
Alaska, and now was anxious to return to Sitka
for the reply. In Chatham Strait, near Cross
Sound, the old head chief of the Hoonahs,
came and begged me to go to his island to
doctor his boy who was very sick. I went but
was loath to do any doctoring ; for the Thlinkit
custom of killing the doctor in case his patient
dies, is discouraging to a beginner. The boy
was feverish and had a complication of
troubles, so I gave him hot-water baths
followed with a seidlitz powder. The effer-
vescing of the powder put me at once at the
head of the Shamans. During my stay I
built up an extensive practice. I made for
the chief some camphorated soap liniment.
Eye troubles are common among the Thlin-
kits, and are due to the glitter of snow
and ice and the irritation caused by the
smoke in the huts. One feeble old man to
whom I had ministered was surely dyinjf, and
I was anxious to be off before that event. I
visited all my patients preparatory to depart-
ing. I gave to some dried onions stewed in
sugar, to others cod-liver oil, and diluted
alcohol to the feeble old man to keep him
up until I could get away. From the father

338

AMONG THE THLINKITS IN ALASKA.

of the sick boy, then nearly well, I took a
fee of some finely carved spoons made from
horns of the mountain goat.

At this camp I found traces of a custom
which prevails to some extent in Central
Africa and is said to obtain throughout the
interior of Alaska. When a stranger of rank
visits a chief, the latter presents his guest
with a wife from among the women of his
household. In morals the Alaskans are much
inferior to most Indian tribes of the plams.
Avarice is their ruling passion. They are the
most knavish and cunnmg of traders. Theft,
if successful, brings no disgrace. The detected
thief is laughed at and ridiculed. I saw old
Cocheen look with fond admiration on Kas-
tase-Kuch, his son, when the latter drew from
under his robe some articles he had pur-
loined from the village where we had lodged
for the night. Their gratitude seemed small
and they have no expression for " I thank you."
Flaws in gifts were always carefully examined
and critically pointed out to the giver. An
Alaskan who shot at some decoy ducks near
Sitka, went to the owner of the decoys and
demanded the return of his wasted amuni-
tion. Two Alaskans were driven to sea in a
canoe. A schooner picked them up, but
would not or could not take their canoe as it
was still blowing a gale. The rescued de-
manded payment for the lost craft. Another
fellow came to the doctor of the post at Sitka
and begged for medicine for his brother and
then asked the doctor to pay him for carrying
it to the brother. I lent Tah-ah-nah-klekh a
goat-skin robe of mine and at the end of our
voyage asked him to clean it. He did so and
demanded full payment. We did not lose
much by theft, because our crew knew very
well the value would be deducted from their
wages. Thlinkit virtues are hospitality, good-
nature, peaceableness, filial obedience, and,
after their own code, a respect for solemn
contracts or engagements. Even when very
angry they only sulk. They are demonstrative
only in the expression of surprise. My host,
the old Hoonah chief, was disinterested kind-
ness itself. At his bountiful board I had a seat
between hi."^ youngest and prettiest wives.
They prepared seal-flipper for me with a
celery-like dressing of some plant. We lived
in ease and luxury and a little necessary
grease and dirt. VVhen the fire was stirred,
and the spears and paddles were p t away
for the evening, my host smoked his pipe and
told tales of the land of the Tinneh, where all
the best furs were and where the mountains
were bleak and merciless. His youngest son,
a sturdy little fellow of five, shared the pipe with
his father, and they passed it from one to the
other with amusing solemnity. I told of a

wonderland where the yahks were as large
as islands and moved against the wind with-
out the help of hands; of great homed ani-
mals giving milk ; of other great animals on
which men rode ; of thousands of great stone-
houses ; of the vast multitude of white people.
The Thlinkits received my stories, as they do
every statement, with courteous deference.
When I rose to go to my own camp the chief
selected the handsomest bear-skin from a pile
of them, and bade his youngest wife present
it to me. When next he came to my camp I
gave him, among other things, a fine woollen
blanket. He folded it about him and said he
would not use it as a hunting blanket. When
he went away he would leave it at home, and
when he died it should not go with his other
effects to his wives and children, but he would
be burned in it and it would go with him to
the Unknown. A niece of the Chilkdht chief,
one of the comelicst of her race, who had
married a hideously ugly, but very rich old
Hoonah, the second man in the village,
mended my clothes and my sealskin boots,
and sang songs or chants for my entertain-
ment that were quite wonderful, I thought,
for their flowing measure and rhythm. This
is one which I learned to understand the best,
called " The Song of the Salmon Fishing " :

Why is the young man sorrowful ?

Oh why is the young man sad?

Ah-ka. His maiden has left him.

The long suns have come,

The ice now is melting ;

Now comes the salmon

He leaps in the river,

In the moon's gentle twilight

He tjirows up a bow —

A bow of bright silver.

Lusty and strong he darts througii the water,

He sports with nis mate ;

He springs from the water.

All tne dark season

He has lain hidden.

Now he comes rushing,

And ripples the river.

Purple and gold, and red and bright silver

Shine on his sides and flash in his sporting,

How he thrashes the net !

How he wrenches the spear !

But the red of his f,ides

Is stained with a redder;

The maid of the young man leans o'er the salmon

White laugh her teethj

Clear rings her laughter ;

Which passes canoes all busy and happy,

Which outstrips the noise of the many mixed voices

And pierces the heart of her sorrowful lover.

She has forgot him,

She joys with another.

All for another she chases the salmon,

Ah-ka. Your sweetheart has left you.

So do they jeer him,

Ah-ka — vour sweetheart is here at the fishing !

Ah-ka — how like you this gay salmon season ?

The crabs I saw at this village were won-
derful for their size. Two crabs were brought

ere as large
le wind with-
; homed ani-
it animals on
f great stone -
(vhite people.
!S, as they do
IS deference,
mp the chief
n from a pile
: wife present

my camp I
fine woollen

1 and said he
mket. When
at home, and
j'ith his other
but he would
• with him to
;hiMht chief,
ce, who had
fery rich old

the village,
talskin boots,
my entertain-
il, I thought,
rhythm. This
tand the best,
II Fishing " :

the water,

Kht silver
sporting,

er the salmon

happy,

ly mixed voices

wful lover.

non,

you.

the fishing!
ion season ?

le were won-
were brought

AMONG THE THLINKITS IN ALASKA.

339

to me, the largest of which measured a little
more than six feet on a line joining the ex-
tremities of its outstretched mandibles. The
body was eighteen inches long. When broken
in pieces one crab filled a camp kettle, and
four men made a hearty meal off it, and it
was all very good. The boy archers of the
village who brought me the crabs held their
bows horizontally, and strained the bow
against the front of the thumb and back of
the little fingers, the arrow passing between
the fore and middle fingers, a mode of archery
peculiar to the Alaskans. Many of the men
and boys of the village were making boxes
and firkins, and shaping bows and paddles.
They used dried dog-fish skin for sand-paper.

In this village were many little bee-hive
huts, temporarily constructed of mats or bark,
which were due to one of the most universal
superstitions, and especially cruel, as influ-
encing these people. These huts were the
temporary shelter to which women were driv-
en at certain times when they most needed
comfort and attention, that is, at the periods
of childbirth, etc.

When a maiden reaches a marriageable age
her lover demands his bride from her parents,
and if they answer favorably he sends the
purchase-money or goods, and on the ap-
pointed day seats himself outside her hut
with his back to the door. If they are
willing to accept him he is invited in. The
maiden sits modestly in a comer. The rela-
tives form a circle round the fire and sing
and dance. The wedding gifts are displayed
and critically examined. They are laid upon
the floor, and the girl walks over them to
her lover. According to the Russian priest,
Veniaminoff and Wrangell, the marriage cere-
mony is not complete until bride and groom
have fasted four days, and lived away from
each other for a month. They then live
together as man and wife. I had no oppor-
tunity of confirming the accuracy of these
statements.

A man frequently takes the name of his son,
but, before doing so, he gives a festival and
announces his intention. He does not give
up his former name or names, but assumes
a new one as the father of his son ; or he
takes the name of a dead ancestor, but first
gives a festival in honor of that departed
progenitor. They call such a ceremony " ele-
vating" (or reverencing) the dead. Another
festival is of a political character. It is to
gain popularity and influence To this end
the ambitious person will save for years till he
has an accumulation of this world's goods.
Then he makes a feast of unlimited eating

and drinking, and all this store of wealth is
distributed to the guests present. Festivals
also celebrate the arrival of distinguished
guests.

In the gray dawn, as we were about to push
from shore, the old chief came to us accom-
panied by two of his wives. My blanket was
wrapped round him. He said I had a good
heart. I was a young chief now, but some day
I would be a great one. Among the Thlinkits,
he said, when a friend was leaving on a long
journey, they watched him out of sight, for
he might never return. I was his friend. I
was going away to my own land. He would
never see me again. Therefore he had come
to watch me out of sight. He then motioned
to his elder wife, who handed me a beautiful
sable skin, and he continued : " Wherever
you go among Thlinkits, show them this and
tell them I gave it to you."

The breeze was freshening. I wrapped my
capote about me and stepped aboard. We
paddled rapidly out to sea, and it was not
long before the three figures were lost to
view. We were about three hundred and fifty
miles from Sitka. In three days we reached
Koutzendo, a large village opposite the en-
trance to Peril Strait, where most of the native
distilled liquor is made. Here we witnessed a
drunken revel of indescribable abandon, dur-
ing which naked and half-naked men and
women dragged themselves about the place.

With a comparatively mild climate through-
out the Archipelago, with most valuable ship-
building timber covering the islands, with a
cedar that now sells at one hundred and fifty
dollars a thousand feet in Sitka, with splendid
harbors, with inexhaustible fisheries, with an
abundance of coal, and the probability that
veins of copper, lead, silver, and gold await
the prospector, with the possibility of raising
sufficient garden vegetables, and with wild
cranberry swamps on nearly every island;
with all these advantages it is surprising that
an industrious, amphibious, ship-building, fish-
ing colony from New England, or other States,
has not established itself in Alaska. One
drawback is that Congress has not yet or-
ganized a territorial government, but when
this region shall have been opened up to
individual er'.erprise and sc dement, it will
then be discovered that Alaska is a val-
uable possession. There is lacking neither
the wealth nor the will to contradict this, but
to those who are really interested I will say
what the opposition does not say : — Go and
see ! The round trip from New Yor'< will
cost you about six hundred dollars, which
does not include hotel expenses.

C. E. S. Wood.

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